Electric power distribution system



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United States Patent C 2,995,670 ELECTRIC POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMHubert L. Weiss, American Construction Equipment Co. Inc., 5055 W.Jefferson Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. Continuation of application Ser.No. 447,517, Aug. 3, 1954. This application June 16, 1959, Ser. No.820,825 3 Claims. (Cl. 307-112) The present invention relates to anelectric power distribution system and includes portable electricdistribution centers hereinafter referred to as portable centers,portable electric feeder cables, and may include step up as well as stepdown transformers and rectifiers. The system may be used in an aircraftmanufacturing plant, at a military air base in lieu of ground powerunits, on a motion picture or television studio or lots, for a tradefair or exhibition, on a farm or in a circus, but is more particularlyadapted to the building industry.

There has long been a need for a safe, temporary, portable anddependable system for the distribution of electric power, for example,115/230 volt, A.C. single phase, 60 cycle, from either an independentgenerator set, or a public utility source, to all building trades, onconstruction projects operating within a series of paths, approximately300 feet wide by 1400 feet long; and it is a primary object of thisinvention to fill this need.

Another object is to avoid the erection, replacement, dismantling andmodification of temporary overhead power lines and temporary servicepoles; thereby eliminating costly labor and saving time, as this systemis 100% reusable for subsequent installations without loss ormodification.

A further object of this invention is to provide a practical system witha minimum voltage drop (well within legal limitations), and maximumsafety protection, to user as well as equipment, together withruggedness, flexibility, portability and ease of installation, and atlow a cost as is consistent with the other qualifications mentioned.

Another object of the invention is to provide upset proof stands for theportable centers used in this system; said portable centers havingidentification flags for readily locating the same, and also to preventdamage from trucks and autos due to the easily seen flags.

-A further object is the provision of stands having strain relief ringscoacting with mating clamp hooks on the cables so as to preventconnectors from being pulled off; and the stands from being tipped over.

An important object is to provide a weather proof system having portablecenters which have all four sides inclined outward from the base tocause moisture to run outward from the receptacles and circuit breakers.

A further object is to furnish an overhanging canopy around all foursides from the portable centers for protection from weather and physicaldamage in its use, transit or storage.

Still another object is to be able to service the electric parts in theportable centers from two sides due to the removable top and bottomcovers, and also to protect the circuit breakers by the use of a springloaded cover.

This application is a continuation of my prior application Serial No.447,517, filed August 3, 1954 and entitled, Electric Power DistributionSystem.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the followingspecification in which,

FIG. 1 is a plan view, partly broken away to better show the invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on 'line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional View taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the portable center before assembly.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the use of the invention on the job.

FIGS. 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 are schematic views.

FIG. 12 is a conventional light pole.

Referring to the drawings (see FIGS. 1 and 2) the numeral 10 designatesa stand, shown in the form of a truncated pyramid, comprising legs 12,converging upwardly from the ground to join a substantially horizontal,rectangular open frame 14. The leg braces 16 complete the stand which ispreferably made of pipe welded together.

Two or more bottom braces 16 are provided with freely slidable rings 18adapted to be connected to cables 20 by mating clamp hooks 21 forrelieving strain on the cables 20 and preventing the connectors frombeing pulled off, or tipping the stand 10.

A rectangular base plate 24 is mounted on the frame 14, said platehaving coextensive, downturned flanges 26, snugly fitting the frame. Theportable center 28 (see FIGS. 2, 4 and 5) is open at the top and bottomexcept for inturned flanges 29 and 30, the flange 30 being provided withtapped holes 32 to register with apertures 33 in the plate 24 so thatsaid plate 24 and portable center 28 may be detachably joined togetherby screws 34.

FIG. 5 shows an opening 35 in the portable center 23 which is closed (asshown in FIGS. 2 and 3) by a spring loaded cover plate 36, and which maybe actuated by a tab 36a, said cover being adapted to protect thecircuit breakers 37.

The portable center 28, for example, may contain six three-way twistlock receptacles 38, each rated 115 volts, 20 amperes; one four-waytwist lock receptacle, rated 230 volts, 20 amperes, designated 39; anindividual circuit breaker 37 for each of the six 115 volt receptacles,one two pole circuit breaker 37a for the single 220 volt receptacle, aneutral terminal strip 40, one male four-wire 50 ampere twist lockconnector 41, and one female fourwire 50 ampere twist lock connector 42,and a straight through bus consisting of four number 6 conductors, asshown in schematic diagram in FIGS. 1 and 8, and a step down transformer56 as shown in schematic diagram in FIG. 6.

Two or more portable centers may be connected alternately with feedercables by means of the 50 ampere twist lock connectors, or the cablelengths 20 may be connected together without portable centers ifdesired. A DC. rectifier 51, supported on rods 51a may be provided ifdesired (see FIG. 2). The transformers 53 are used to step down thevoltage as shown in FIG. 9. The portable center member or box 28 istapered outward on all sides from the base as shown at 43, to causemoisture to run out from the receptacles and circuit breakers.

Feeder cables may be feet long, having four number 6 conductors encasedin a neoprene jacket, and have a female 50 ampere twist lock connectoron one end and a male 50 ampere twist lock connector on the other end,see FIGS. 10 and 11.

A top plate 44 is mounted on the portable center 28 and is aligned bydownturned angles 45 adapted to fit snugly around the portable center,the top plate 44 extending outwardly to form a canopy 46, overhangingsaid portable center on all four sides and terminating in coextensivedownturned flanges 47. The angles 45 are apertured for screws 47a forfastening to the portable center 28 (see FIGS. 2, 3 and 4). The topplate 44 protects the receptacles and circuit breakers from weather andphysical damage in use and storage, and also may be used as a table. Theplate 44 is provided in one corner 44a with a downturned closed endsocket 48 to receive a standard 49, usually about four feet long andhaving a flag 50 secured to its top (see FIGS. 1, 2 and 4). The flag 50is for identification in locating the portable centers 28 on the job,and to warn truck drivers of its presence. Equipment ground connectorsare provided in each receptacle, and in each cable.

By inspecting FIG. 5 it will be seen that the portable box structure 28,which is detachably supportable in an elevated position by the meanswhich has already been described, has in one of its vertical side wallsthe admission opening 35 and has a plurality of apertures 28 in itsremaining three vertical walls, in which apertures are mounted thealready mentioned electric current conducting and current control means.

FIGS. 6, 7, 8, and 11 show pictorially, diagrammatically andschematically typical field jobs wherein the stand 10, the portablecenter 28, feeder cable and step down transformer 56 are utilized in thedistribution of electrical power, to points 52 adjacent to the buildings60 and garages 59 being constructed, from 110/220 v. A.C., single phasepublic utility pole, or a generator set 55; or from a 480 v. A.C., threephase public utility pole, or generator set 57.

A public utility pole 55 (see FIG. 12), or generator set or other powersource, is connected to the feeder cables 20 which in turn arealternately connected to the portable centers 28, which in turn may bespaced 100 feet apart, and which may be placed along an alley of a blockwhich may be 1400 feet long; this all trades which may be constructinghouses in this block will be adequately supplied with electric power.

A minimum storage space is required when the stands 10 and portablecenters 28 are not in use, as the stands telescope one over the otherwhen stacked vertically, and as the portable centers 'have flat tops andbottoms for vertical stacking.

Said terminal boxes 28 are detachably secured to the standards 10, asshown, no bolts, clamps or special fixtures being necessary.

The inventor claims:

1. For use with power extension cords having one male and one femaleconnector at opposite ends to provide a temporary power system: aportable base; a box having outer walls; means mounting the box on thebase; a female connector element mounted on an outer wall of the box forexterior access thereto, said femaleconnector element being cooperablewith a male connector of one of said power extension cords; a maleconnector element also mounted on an outer wall of the box in spacedrelationship to said female connector element for exterior access andconnection thereto, said male connector element being cooperable with afemale connector element of another power extension cord; through busmeans within the box ice socket members on an outer wall of said box forexterior access and connection thereto; a plurality of overloadprotection devices carried by the box; and means within the boxelectrically tapping the service socket members to the bus means throughsaid overload protection devices; each of said overload protectiondevices limiting the current in the corresponding tapping means to afraction of the current carrying capacity of said through bus means.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which I the overloadprotection devices are also mounted at an outer wall of said box forexterior access thereto.

3. For use in a system of temporary electrical distribution: a pluralityof electrical power takeoff boxes, each box having outer walls; each boxhaving a socket connector element secured at an outer wall of the boxand accessible exteriorly of the box for reception of prongs of acompanion connector element, and a prong connection element secured atan outer wall of the box and accessible exteriorly of the box forprojection into the socket of a companion connector element; each boxhaving through bus means therein electrically joining in electricalcircuit relationship the corresponding socket connector element and theprong connector element; a

plurality of extension means for serial cpnnection of the prongconnector element of one box to the socket connector element of the nextbox while the consecutive boxes are remotely spaced; each box having aplurality of overload protected takeoff sockets secured on an outer wallthereof that are each physically different from the corre- I spondingsocket connector element such that an electrical element that fits anyof said service sockets does not fit said socket connector element; andmeans within each box electrically connecting the corresponding overloadprotected takeoff sockets to the corresponding through bus means; eachof the service sockets being limited in current carrying capacity to afraction of the current rating of the through bus means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS EaglenOct. 19, 1926 Schmidt Jan. 31, 1956

